Kate Middleton Gives a Heartfelt Speech at a Christmas Party For Military Families

Prince William and Kate Middleton hosted a Christmas party today for Royal Air Force families, whose relatives will be overseas during the festive period. At the event, Kate gave a moving speech where she shared that she knows “how hard it feels” when loved ones are away from home serving in the military.

In a heartfelt speech before the crowd of 250 assembled in the pavilion in the grounds of Kensington Palace, the Duchess said: "As someone whose husband has served, I know how hard it feels when a loved one leaves home to do the job they’ve trained for. When William served in the Falklands or went search and rescue, I remember how it felt."

The Duchess added that the holidays can be a particularly difficult time for military families. "But I can’t imagine how it feels when your loved ones are away on active service over Christmas or at those special family moments," Kate continued. "The absence of people you love must be especially hard at this time of year. We should never forget our military families and all the service you do for us all."

The Duke and Duchess will fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus tomorrow to meet relatives of some of the people they chatted to at the party today from British military bases RAF Coningsby and RAF Marham. The royals also played Santa by collecting gifts and cards from the families which they will take to Cyprus and deliver to loved ones.

Will and Kate arrive at the Christmas party

Getty ImagesKarwai Tang

The event was in full-swing by the time they arrived to be greeted by fake snow and the sounds of a brass quintet from the Honourable Artillery Company playing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Without coats, as they only had to walk a few minutes from their Kensington Palace home next door, Kate looked casual in a tartan Emilia Wickstead skirt teamed with a black top by Scottish Cashmere brand Brora.

Inside the party, William and Kate quickly began to circulate as children and adults took part in activities including a photo booth, snow globe decorating, cracker making, stocking decoration and making marshmallow snowmen. At one point the royal couple even joined in with children’s entertainment throwing plastic balls across the room as they laughed with the families.

Kate greets a group of children inside the party

Getty ImagesRICHARD POHLE

Rebecca, whose husband is currently serving with the RAF in the Falklands and might not be home for Christmas, attended the party with her twin nine-year-old daughters Isobel and Elizabeth. She told T&C: “We met Kate. We were talking about penguins in the Falklands. When my husband was last in the Falklands so was Prince William and they were out there together. There are absolutely loads of penguins in the Falkland Islands and they’re really smelly. She was talking to the girls about how she’d heard that and they were agreeing.” Rebecca added that the Duchess of Cambridge is "beautiful. She’s really nice and really friendly."

Rebecca also touched on what the Christmas party means to her family. " I think it’s so nice that they’ve done [the Christmas party] and it really does make you feel special. For the girls this is their fourth Christmas without their dad being at home. For them, they’re so used to it but it’s nice for people to make it a bit different and a bit special."

Victoria, 50, from RAF Marham was there with her 15-year-old daughter Harriet. Harriet’s dad Richard is currently in Cyprus, where William and Kate will travel to tomorrow. Describing Kate as “so gracious and easy to talk to,” Victoria said: “She’s going to see him tomorrow so we’ve asked her if she sees him to give him our love. Hopefully that message will get through. She said she would look out for him.” Victoria added about the military: “They do a great job and I don’t think most people realise how much the family sacrifice for them to do that great job. So for William and Kate to do this today, it’s just a lovely moment to really feel very proud of what our family member does. It’s lovely that they take the time out of their busy lives to do that for us."

On departure, the couple were met once again by a cloud of fake snow, this time with the addition of fake snowballs being thrown at them by cheeky members of the crowd. William managed to catch one and throw it back.

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